Trader Joe's Salted Almond Honey Granola

Cereal is another one of those categories on this blog that probably makes me sound like a Debbie Downer more often than not. It's not that Trader Joe's cereals are particularly bad, it's just that we've seen so many that it takes something incredibly special to really wow us. The most recent cereal to do that was the outstanding Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola just a couple months back. While Sonia and I are not quite as enthusiastic about Trader Joe's Salted Almond Honey Granola, we'll definitely give this one a thumbs up and a positive recommendation—particularly if that cherry pistachio stuff isn't available for some reason.

This cereal has lots of big almond slices. In the video review, I called them "slabs" of almond. I have to say they were pretty generous with the nuts in this case. They're excellent quality and there are plenty of 'em.

The granola is nice. There are very few of those obnoxiously large boulders of granola that you have to use a pick axe to get apart like we've seen a few times in the past. Bonus: there are corn flakes in the mix. Some are floating free and some are fused to the little chunks of granola. There's also rice flour in there. Not sure where that comes into play to be honest. Maybe they're flakes of corn and rice..? At any rate, the flavor is more complex than most granolas that only employ oats. This one has oats, corn, and rice. Yum.

The cereal is pleasantly sweet, but not overly so. It tastes vaguely like honey because there is some actual honey in the ingredients list. If I have one complaint, it's that I'd want honey as the primary sweetener in the granola rather than cane sugar. Nothing against good old cane sugar, but this cereal would be more aptly named Trader Joe's Salted Almond Cane Sugar Granola...with a touch of honey.

Nitpick much? Yes. Yes, I do.

Overall, it's a nice neutral, hearty, grainy flavor with an appropriate amount of sweetness. Sonia and I would both buy it again. Kosher. $3.99 for the resealable 12 oz bag. We'll both go with eight out of ten stars on Trader Joe's Salted Almond Honey Granola.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's 12 Mini Blueberry Scones

Sonia and I both have the same introductory reference point for scones: Starbucks circa the early-mid 2000s. She was partial to the maple oat nut scone while blueberry has always been my go-to. All things considered, I'd have to say these bake 'em yourself petite pastries are comparable to the classic Starbucks offering if perhaps a tad less sweet and less dense. Also TJ's are "miniature" scones, so these are much smaller.

Trader Joe's 12 Mini Blueberry Scones will run you $5.49. They come frozen, and you bake from frozen: 375° for 14-16 minutes. We had ours in for about 17 minutes before it was all said and done.

They came out nice and hot, soft, crumbly, and reasonably sweet. You can both see and taste that there's no sugar glaze on these scones. That's just fine with Sonia and me.

Each specimen had between one and four visible blueberries on the outside of the pastry. On the inside, there were none. The couple of berries you see poking out of the dough are just about all you're gonna get, unfortunately. Each bite with a blueberry is well-balanced, juicy, fruity, and sweet. Each bite without a blueberry is doughy and comparatively bland—not awful. But these bready breakfast bites would be bounds better with beaucoup blueberries.

Have them with tea or coffee. Slather them with blueberry preserves. Serve them with clotted cream. Whip up some powdered sugar frosting. There are plenty of ways to dress up these scones. And honestly, they're quite noshable as is. Trader Joe was just predictably stingy with the fruit—and that's really our only complaint. I guess a resealable freezer bag might be nice, too, in case you don't want to eat all 12 scones at once.

We'd still buy 'em again. Look for Trader Joe's 12 Mini Pumpkin Ginger Scones with the same style packaging come fall. Eight out of ten stars from Sonia. Seven and a half stars from me for Trader Joe's Blueberry Scones.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Flakes & Strawberries Cereal

It's true that some TJ's products can vary from batch to batch, but my goodness, if our box of Trader Joe's Flakes & Strawberries Cereal was anywhere close to average, then they seriously need to change the photo on the cover of the package. It's straight up misleading to show a bowl of flakes with about eight or nine freeze dried strawberry slices sitting right on top when in reality there are only two or three per bowl, on average.

Sonia's first bowl had none. Zip. Zero. Nada. Zilch. We dug through the bag and manually added some strawberries we found on down the way. Even if you divvy up the berries so there's one in each of your first bites, there are still way more bites with nothing but flakes left over at the end.

In fairness, the flakes aren't bad in and of themselves. They have a nice crunch. They don't get soggy too quickly. We like the wheat and rice blend. They're lightly sweet. Not bad, not bad.

But if we wanted plain flakes, we'd have purchased plain cereal. We're hunting for strawberries here. Enter: Trader Joe's Freeze Dried Strawberries to save the day. I think the price went up on the berries since we published that review, but it's still a very decent product—along with its blueberry counterpart.

The freeze dried strawberries product appears to be the exact same commodity that we find sparsely distributed throughout the cereal. They're thin slices of brittle strawberry, mostly good quality. Same color. Same texture. Same good sweet-tart flavor.

After adding a whole bunch of the extra strawberry pieces, the cereal went from zero to hero. We easily finished our bowls, and a couple days later, the bag. Of course, you could always add fresh strawberries. That would work, too. I mean, you can always dress things up to suit your taste, but when the title of the product advertises strawberries, we're expecting a decent amount of strawberries to already be in the cereal.

$2.99 for the 11.7 oz box. Kosher. Product of Canada. Sonia would like to point out that although we're being a tad critical of this product, it's still better than Special K with Red Berries. Fair enough. Still, we probably wouldn't pick up Trader Joe's Flakes & Strawberries Cereal again for lack of freeze dried berries. Six and a half stars from Sonia. Five and a half stars from me.

Bottom line: 6 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Smoked Steelhead Trout

Looks like we've got another product of Norway here. Apparently Erling Haaland and his teammates have been importing tons of food from their homeland during the World Cup. If only someone had told him about Trader Joe's. He and his Nordic football buddies could have tried this steelhead trout with Trader Joe's Lefse Norwegian Potato Flatbread. I'm sure that combo would have been stellar.

We actually kind of forgot we had Trader Joe's Smoked Steelhead Trout in the back of the fridge and remembered it just in the nick of time. We rediscovered the package on its best by date and quickly downed the entire thing so we didn't risk spoilage. So...no video review on this one, but here are a couple pics and our thoughts:

$5.49 gets you 4 oz of kosher Norwegian steelhead trout. It's a thick slab of smoked fish fillet, very rosy, resembling salmon. There is "color added" according to the ingredients. TJ usually throws us a bone and lets us in on the secret—they're pretty good at not using weird chemicals or dyes and you'll note something along the lines of "turmeric for color" but alas, no such luck with this product. Your guess is as good as mine as to where that pink-orange hue comes from.

Although I've only had legitimate sashimi a couple times in my life, I can confirm the claim on traderjoes.com that the texture of this product is indeed sashimi-esque. It's very much like a slab of raw fish in terms of firmness and mouthfeel, although this one has been smoked. In that sense, it's not unlike smoked salmon lox. In fact, our favorite way to enjoy it was served on toasted sourdough with some cream cheese and Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.

Flavor-wise, it's a much milder taste than salmon. Sonia and I both love salmon because we like fish that tastes like fish, but every once in a while something a tad more delicate is in order. This is perfect if you don't like fishy fish. The smoke flavor is very apparent, though I wouldn't call it overpowering. It's savory, salty, and satisfying.

Although we wish it were packed in olive oil, Sonia and I both love Trader Joe's canned smoked trout product at least as much as this one. Still, this kosher fish fillet is a great buy if you're looking for a lunchy alternative to lox or salmon. We'll both throw out eight and a half stars for Trader Joe's Smoked Steelhead Trout.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants

Four bucks gets you two pre-baked croissants in a cellophane wrapper. I emphasize "pre-baked" because most of the other croissants we've seen from Trader Joe's not only require you to bake the pastry yourself, but they also need to be proofed for up to 12 hours prior to going in the oven. See:

Trader Joe's Double Chocolate Croissants

Trader Joe's 4 Almond Croissants

Trader Joe's 4 Pumpkin Croissants

That's a plus. You don't have to wait a ridiculously long time to eat Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants. You can have them straight from the package or you can heat them up a bit. But I mean, those previous croissant products were all delicious. I'm telling you they might be the best croissants I've ever had in my life. So these pre-packaged traditional all-butter croissants have their work cut out for them.

And unfortunately, they simply don't hold up to the high standard we've come to expect from Trader Joe's croissants. The bread is good. Flaky, buttery, and airy, the bread tastes fine. But by that same token, it's nowhere near as good as the bread on those other croissants. It might not be fair to compare something that's fresh from the oven to something that's been sitting on a shelf for a few days. But even heated up for a spell, the texture simply can't compete with the croissants you proof and bake yourself.

And the filling? The filling is even worse. Look at that picture. There's barely any chocolate in there. At four bucks, these two croissants didn't exactly break the bank, but I feel totally ripped off. You can barely call these "chocolate" croissants. The aforementioned Double Chocolate Croissants were absolutely bursting at the seams with chocolate flavor.

In true Sonia fashion, she'll be extremely merciful with her scoring, focusing on the convenience and decent buttery bread. The lack of chocolate is really her only complaint. And I must admit I grumbled and moaned about the excessively lengthy proofing and baking process involved with those previous croissant products, but now I see why it's necessary. Good things come to those who wait. So much quality is sacrificed on the altar of convenience with Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants, and the lack of chocolate filling is just a slap in the face. Would not buy these again.

Sonia's score: 7 out of 10 stars.

Nathan's score: 5 out of 10 stars.

Trader Joe's Strawberry Brioche Liège Waffles

As you might have guessed, these breakfast treats are comparable to the previous Liege waffle offerings from Trader Joe's in terms of price, size, texture, and packaging. We're looking at $4.99 for six individually-wrapped Belgian waffles. And yes, they are actually imported from Belgium.

The original Brioche Style Liege Waffles are still my favorite just because they're a tad more versatile than these or their maple-flavored counterparts. We weren't able to get our hands on the pumpkin spice variety last fall, but we'll make another attempt come September, provided they return again this year.

These Liege waffles do have tiny specks of strawberry throughout their bready Belgian brioche-style bodies. It's actually "apple strawberry pieces," whatever those are. There's also some strawberry puree in the mix. And yes, many of you know exactly what's coming: a complaint. They still don't taste enough like strawberry.

I want strawberry chunks in the next one. I want just a whisper of bread with my strawberry puree. I want big berry boldness. I want the berry flavor to knock my socks off. And that's not what this does. It just whispers "strawberry" softly...like a distant melody on the wind...being played by a middle school band...in the next town over.

Maybe I exaggerate. It'll be strawberryish enough for many folks. It's certainly strawberryish enough when paired with Trader Joe's Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread although that product isn't exactly strawberry overload just on its own, either. But hey, in terms of convenience and value, we've got another winner on our hands.

Sonia and I would both purchase Trader Joe's Brioche Style Strawberry Liege Waffles again. Like their predecessors, they're perfectly edible straight out of the wrappers, but they shine even more when toasted and topped with butter and/or strawberry cream cheese. Eight out of ten stars from the beautiful wifey. Seven and a half out of ten stars from yours truly.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Gözlemes

When I first saw these, I was thinking they might be like the Turkish version of a cheese blintz. They're not too far off in terms of texture, but blintzes tend to be sweet and gözlemes, I've gathered, are savory. This version features authentic Turkish flatbread stuffed with tulum, kashkaval, and mozzarella cheeses.

It's a delicious combination. It's much more like the Turkish version of a quesadilla or a grilled cheese sandwich than a blintz. In fact, I'd say it's right in between the two. A gözleme is thicker than a quesadilla but not quite as thick as your typical grilled cheese. It's a bit oily and buttery, salty, creamy, and tangy. The three cheese combo yields something akin to melty mozzarella, texture-wise, but it's much tangier and flavorful than mozzarella alone. The flavor is something along the lines of feta, another great Mediterranean cheese.

The flatbread gets nice and crispy on the outside during preparation. It's phyllo-esque in some respects but also doughier than typical phyllo. There's a chewy element to it, but it's very pleasant. Goes great with the cheeses.

This product does indeed come from Turkey. It's apparently a popular type of street food found throughout the nation. It's often stuffed with various meats or veggies like spinach or potatoes. They typically grill the flatbread and its fillings on a griddle and serve it hot. Preparation instructions for this Trader Joe's offering state explicitly that it's to be prepared from frozen on the stovetop rather than the microwave or conventional oven. I'd go out on a limb and guess they don't want you to toss it in the air fryer either, although I'm certain someone out there has tried it. I was tempted myself but resisted the urge.

Sonia heated ours on her nonstick skillet. Instructions said to "place in dry pan" and she did...and lo and behold, it stuck to her pan. I mean, it wasn't a total nightmare. She got the product off of the pan and onto our plate pretty much entirely intact. Subsequent attempts were even more successful when the HexClad was called up for duty. The product is fairly oily on its own and probably isn't begging to be deep fried or anything like that.

We plowed through all three gözlemes within 24 hours of opening the box, so that's a testament to its scrumptiousness, I'd say. In our video review, we muse about what condiments might work with it. In the same way I like Mexican salsa with my quesadillas, I wanted a Mediterranean hot sauce with this product. I pondered whether it might work with Trader Joe's Tunisian Harissa Paste. Sonia thought it would pair well with Trader Joe's Italian Bomba Sauce. Since we had some of the bomba on hand, we were able to confirm subsequently that they do indeed go very well together. I still wanna try it with harissa.

The beautiful wifey and I would both buy this product again. $4.99 for three cheese-stuffed flatbreads, found in the frozen section. Product of Turkey. Eight and a half out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Gözlemes. I'll go with eight out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Sonia is definitely more the coffee person in our house, and she most definitely appreciated Trader Joe's Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate more than I did. I don't have any major problems with it other than I think it's a bit stingy with the vanilla flavor. The beautiful wifey thinks it's just about right in terms of the boldness of the coffee and the balance of vanilla.

Of course, you have to dilute the coffee. It wants two parts water or milk or milk alternative and just one part concentrate. And most folks will want to add sweetener of some kind. We used Trader Joe's Vanilla Cold Foam (review upcoming) and we also tried it with plain old brown sugar. It worked either way.

The concentrate itself was smooth and surprisingly mellow for such a dark-looking brew. No weird aftertaste, no burnt bitterness, just a solid cup of cold coffee that tasted decent and perked us right up. Sonia especially liked how easy it was to customize depending on her mood and caffeine needs.

See also Trader Joe's Maple Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Trader Joe's French Roast Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Trader Joe's Coconut Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

and Trader Joe's Original Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

$8.99 for the bottle. It's kosher, shelf-stable until opened, refrigerate afterwards. Makes eight 12 oz cups of coffee. Sonia would definitely buy it again. I'll throw out seven out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate. Sonia gives it eight and a half out of ten. You should pay more attention to her score since she's way more into java.

Sonia's score: 8.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's PB&J Oat Bites and Trader Joe's Raspberry Oat Bites

So a brand called Bobo's makes little oat bites very similar to these, and for some reason both Sonia and I remembered Bobo's being bigger, but apparently they're the same size. We must have been thinking of Bobo's Oat Bars. At any rate, these whole grain oat-based bites from Trader Joe's are about the size of a golf ball and they come in two different flavors: PB&J and raspberry.

Weirdly, the raspberry one had a nicer texture than the PB&J version. It was a tad softer. While the PB&J one does indeed show peanut butter in the ingredients, there is no actual cache of peanut butter in the center of the oat bite. It appears the peanut butter is commingled with the rolled oats throughout the tiny snack. There is, however, a dollop of fruit filling in the center of both flavors. It's strawberry jelly in the PB&J kind. Both Sonia and I think it would have been stronger with a glob of peanut butter in the center along with the fruity jam.

Furthermore, the raspberry filling tasted better than the strawberry filling to both of us. It reminded me of the raspberry dip that comes with Trader Joe's PB&J Snack Duo. The flavor of the raspberry confection "popped" a lot more than its strawberry counterpart.

Sonia, ever the culinary visionary, immediately suggested crumbling these little oat orbs over a bowl of Greek yogurt, which honestly might be their highest calling. As is, they straddle that line between snack and dessert, but broken up into something creamy and tangy? Now we’re talking about unlocking their full potential. I could totally see them moonlighting as a lazy man’s parfait situation: minimal effort, maximum perceived sophistication.

At the end of the day, they’re a decent grab if you’re already cruising the aisles and feeling oat-curious, but they don’t quite ascend into must-have territory. The raspberry ones flirt with greatness, the PB&J ones just kind of linger in the background. Not a bad snack by any stretch—just one that leaves you thinking about how it could’ve been a little bolder, a little gooier, a little more memorable.

$3.99 for six little oat bites. Would probably buy the raspberry version again. The PB&J one isn't awful by any means, but Sonia and I both preferred the razzle dazzle—and I'm a huge fan of peanut butter. We both give seven and a half stars to Trader Joe's Raspberry Oat Bites. I give Trader Joe's PB&J Oat Bites six and a half stars and the beautiful wifey will go a half star lower.

Trader Joe's Raspberry Oat Bites: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's PB&J Oat Bites: 6.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Sliced Porridge Bread

At $4.49 for the loaf, this Canadian import is one of those bakery finds that feels both rustic and slightly mysterious. Sonia and I can both say honestly that we've never had a bread quite like it, and that’s saying something for two people who’ve toasted their way through plenty of carb territory. Trader Joe's Porridge Bread is a distinctive little twist on traditional wheat bread.

Its uncommon texture is what really sets this bread apart. The outside of each slice toasts up like you’d expect: golden, lightly crisp, and structurally sound. But the inside stays soft, tender, and almost porridge-like, with a texture that genuinely reminds you of oatmeal. It’s cozy. It’s comforting. It’s like hot cereal decided to disguise itself as bread.

Flavor-wise, this loaf leans lightly sweet, but not in a sugary, dessert-ish kind of way. It’s more of a subtle, grain-forward sweetness that comes from the blend of wheat, oats, and rye along with subtle hints of honey and brown sugar. The trio of grains gives the bread a wholesome, hearty profile with just enough complexity to make the bread satisfying in and of itself without overwhelming whatever you pair it with.

This bread absolutely shines with simplicity. A warm slice with just butter was one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. The butter melts into that soft interior and turns it into pure comfort food. Sonia especially loved using it for egg sandwiches, where the gentle sweetness and dense yet pillowy texture complemented the savory eggs perfectly.

This isn’t your standard sandwich loaf, and that’s exactly why it’s worth grabbing. If you like experimenting with textures or want a breakfast bread that feels a little different, this is a great choice.

Unique, cozy, and lightly sweet, Trader Joe’s Sliced Porridge Bread is a welcome change of pace. We'd definitely buy it again. Product of Canada. The beautiful wifey will go with eight and a half out of ten stars here. I'm down for eight out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Chia Seed

Trader Joe’s Organic Chia Seeds are a reliable, high-quality pantry staple that offers exceptional value for health conscious shoppers. Priced at $4.99 for a 12 oz bag, these seeds are significantly more affordable than many comparable organic options found at other grocery stores. The product features a neutral flavor profile and a consistent texture, making it an easy addition to a wide variety of dishes without altering the intended taste of your recipes.

The chia seeds are packaged in a resealable bag that helps maintain freshness and prevent accidental spills in the kitchen. In terms of culinary applications, these seeds are incredibly versatile. They're a primary ingredient for creating thick, creamy chia pudding and serve as a simple nutritional boost when stirred into morning oatmeal or blended into fruit smoothies. For those who enjoy more elaborate breakfast options, they provide a satisfying crunch as a topping for acai bowls.

In case you're interested, here's Sonia's recipe for surprisingly scrumptious mango chia pudding—even better than Trader Joe's now defunct Mango Chia Pudding.

4 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
1 tbsp of honey
1 cup of frozen mango
1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt
2 oz of 2% milk
1 tbsp coconut flakes

Blend the milk, yogurt, honey, and mango in blender. Pour in glass container then add the chia and slowly mix in with other ingredients. Chill overnight 8-10 hrs. Top with mango chunks and organic coconut flakes.

Beyond breakfast and snacks, these seeds are an excellent resource for home bakers. They can be used as a direct substitute for poppy seeds in muffins, breads, or lemon themed desserts, adding a similar aesthetic and texture with the added benefits of omega 3s and fiber. They are indeed currently available at Trader Joe's as of the time of the writing of this review, and they tend to be in stock all year round. They've become a go-to item for many shoppers looking for an inexpensive source of the tasty, healthy seeds.

These are a repeat purchase in our house. They deliver on every front, from the ease of storage to their multipurpose nature in the kitchen. Whether you're focused on meal prepping or just looking for a simple way to elevate your favorite snacks, this product is a cost effective choice that holds up against more expensive brands. I'll let the beautiful wifey score this one solo.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Double Chocolate Batard

Listen, I know what you’re thinking. "Chocolate bread? Isn’t that just cake for people who are lying to themselves about their health goals?" Usually, you’d be right. But Trader Joe’s has imported a little slice of Parisian rebellion called the Double Chocolate Batard, and frankly, it’s making the rest of the bakery aisle look like a bunch of amateurs.

For a mere $4.99, you get a decent size loaf that feels like it was hand-delivered by a guy on a Vespa who definitely judges your pronunciation. It looks artisanal, it feels uniquely French, and it demands just 12 minutes of your time at 350 degrees to reach its final, glorious form.

Once it emerges from the oven, you’re looking at a texture that is unapologetically bready. This isn’t a moist sponge or a crumbly cookie. It’s a dense, yeasty, philosophically-stimulating kind of bread. The outside develops that perfect, slight crust that shatters just enough to be satisfying, while the inside remains soft and substantial.

The flavor is the real shocker, though. It’s surprisingly restrained. I’m usually the first person to complain that dark chocolate tastes like expensive dirt, but in this context, it’s the only logical choice. It isn't super bitter, but it definitely isn't cloyingly sweet. It’s chocolate for grown-ups who still want something fun and novel for breakfast.

Sonia and I both went into this with a healthy dose of skepticism, but we were quickly won over by the taste and texture of this unique baked good. It occupies a weird, wonderful space in the culinary world that isn't a muffin, a cookie, or a croissant. It’s just itself. It’s phenomenal for breakfast alongside a strong cup of coffee, and while you could get fancy with some sliced strawberries or a dollop of mascarpone, let’s be real: it's best served toasty and warm with a thick slab of butter melting into every dark crevice.

The beautiful wifey and I were so impressed that we both officially clocked it at eight and a half stars. If you’ve got five bucks and a dream of French indulgence without the jet lag, go find this batard. Although I must leave you with the following warning: try to eat as much of it as you can straight out of the oven. The bread isn't nearly as good when heated a second time. It gets stale pretty quickly once it's out of the bag.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Japanese Mini Taiyaki

Having explored the culinary curiosities of Tokyo Treat, Bokksu, and Sakuraco, Sonia and I like to think of ourselves as seasoned snack diplomats. We’ve navigated the world of shelf-stable Japanese vending machine cookies and vacuum-sealed mysteries, but Trader Joe’s Mini Taiyaki felt like a high-stakes promotion. For $4.99, you get eight frozen fish imported directly from Japan, which is significantly cheaper than a round-trip ticket to Sakai City.

This was our first foray into the actual pastry version of taiyaki, rather than the crunchy, biscuit-based imposters we’ve encountered in subscription boxes. The instructions suggest various methods of resurrection, but we opted for the air fryer—the only logical choice for a custard-filled waffle that was born in a factory and spent its formative weeks in a freezer chest.

The result was surprisingly sophisticated. The exterior transforms into a crispy, golden texture that manages to be both structurally sound and satisfyingly light. Inside lies a reservoir of vanilla custard. It’s a classic pairing, executed with a level of restraint that is quintessentially Japanese. While American snacks often aim to induce a glycemic coma, Trader Joe's Taiyaki offer a sweetness that is polite and understated.

I will note that the fish are slightly oily, as if they’ve been sweating in their bag, but it’s a manageable sheen that doesn’t require a hazmat suit to handle. You can and should eat them with your hands. If you’re feeling particularly decadent, or if you simply want to see how much dairy a single human can consume in one sitting, they pair exceptionally well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Overall, it’s a very neat experience for five dollars. It’s a bit of authentic Japanese street food culture tucked between the frozen cauliflower gnocchi and orange chicken. We’ve already decided they’re a buy again item, if only to fulfill our roles as dedicated snack critics. An impressive nine out of ten stars from the beautiful wifey. I'll go with eight and a half on Trader Joe's Japanese Mini Taiyaki.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola

Look, I don’t know who at Trader Joe’s decided to start moonlighting as a high-end pastry chef, but they deserve a raise, or at least a very firm handshake. For a mere five bucks, you get a 12 oz resealable bag of Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola that tastes suspiciously like it belongs in a zip code I can’t afford to live in.

Apparently, this stuff is modeled after the legendary granola served at Eleven Madison Park in NYC. You know, the kind of place where the water costs more than my car insurance. But instead of a $400 tasting menu, you’re eating this over a chipped bowl while wearing pajamas with holes in them. Pure luxury.

The first thing you’ll notice? The scale of the "bits" in Trader Joe's Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola. The cherries: not some sad, shriveled raisins-in-disguise. These are massive, succulent dried cherries that actually taste like fruit. The nuts: they didn't skimp. Pistachios and pecans are everywhere, providing a crunch that feels expensive. The coconut: there are oddly large slivers of coconut in here. I’m talking "could be used as a structural shim" large. It’s bold, it’s brave, and I’m into it.

The sweetness comes from maple syrup and brown sugar, which gives it a sophisticated depth rather than a sugar-rush-at-a-five-year-old's-birthday vibe. Plus, they used extra virgin olive oil instead of the usual industrial-grade canola oil. It makes the whole thing feel artisanal and posh.

The one catch? The texture is generally crunchy, pleasant, and nearly perfect, but keep your dentist on speed dial. Sonia found a cherry pit lurking inside one of those giant dried fruit pieces. It’s like a delicious game of Russian Roulette. Is it a snack? Is it a dental emergency? Only the first bite will tell.

Despite the potential for a broken molar, we're obsessed. This might actually be the best granola either of us has ever had. We'd love to try the real deal at Eleven Madison Park on our next visit to the Big Apple. I went with eight and a half stars in the video review, but now that I think about it, it's definitely Pantheon-worthy. Nine out of ten from me for Trader Joe's Homestyle Cherry Pistachio Pecan Granola. The beautiful wifey will throw out nine out of ten as well.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Maple Brioche Style Liège Waffles

Trader Joe’s Maple Brioche Style Liège Waffles arrive with a bit of continental swagger. Fun fact to drop at brunch: Liège is a city in Belgium, which means these waffles are technically more cultured than most of us before coffee. They’re imported straight from Belgium, so when you eat one you can briefly pretend you’re on a cobblestone street instead of standing barefoot in your kitchen at 7:42 a.m.

For $4.49, you get six waffles, each one individually wrapped like it’s a precious artifact. At first glance, the extra packaging feels a little dramatic—does a waffle really need its own outfit? But once you’re tossing one into a bag for work or ripping one open half-asleep, the convenience wins you over. No freezer burn, no weird waffle clumping incidents. Everyone stays in their lane.

Out of the wrapper, these are… fine. Perfectly acceptable. Pleasant, even. But let’s not kid ourselves: these waffles want heat. Toss one in the toaster, add a little butter, and suddenly things get interesting. The outside crisps up, the inside stays soft and chewy, and the pearl sugar does that magical caramelized thing it does so well. If you’re really chasing sweetness, a drizzle of extra maple syrup will send it over the top, though it’s not strictly necessary.

The maple flavor itself is noticeable but not aggressive. It’s there, quietly humming in the background, reminding you that fall exists. That said, it does make these waffles a little less versatile than Trader Joe’s Original Brioche Style Liège Waffles. The plain ones are a blank canvas—you can throw fruit spread on them, go savory-ish, do whatever your heart desires. These maple ones feel more opinionated. Butter? Yes. Syrup? Sure. Whipped cream or even a scoop of ice cream? Absolutely. But slathering them with strawberry jam feels… wrong. Like wearing flip-flops to a wedding.

Would we buy them again? Probably. They’re good, they’re convenient, and they scratch a specific maple-flavored itch. But if we’re being honest, we’d still gravitate toward the plain version most of the time. If I want maple, I can always add my own. Control is power, especially when waffles are involved. Seven and a half out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Maple Brioche Style Liège Waffles. I'll go with seven out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Simit Turkish Sesame Bread

I noticed at least one or two members of the Turkish diaspora gave their seal of approval to Trader Joe's Simit Turkish Sesame Bread. It is indeed imported from the nation of Turkey, so we have no reason to doubt its authenticity. Sonia and I picked up a package and have kept it in the freezer for the past couple weeks, looking forward to finally giving it a try.

Hot take: it's GOOD. Imagine the lovechild of a bagel and a pretzel with oodles of sesame seeds baked into the outer layer. And magically, the vast majority of the seeds stay attached even after heating, handling, and eating the simit bread.

It's got such a nutty, seedy taste. Similar to a bagel, the bread is slightly firm and crusty on the outside and it's soft and doughy on the inside. There's definitely a wheaty, yeasty element to the flavor profile, but it's mostly those yummy sesame seeds. As I said in our video review, "if you like sesame seeds, you really can't go wrong with this product."

We tried the simit with cream cheese, Trader Joe's Grecian Style Eggplant, hummus, olives, feta, and honey—not all at once, of course. Each and every thing we tried it with worked remarkably well. I even dipped a piece in ranch dressing, and it was pretty tasty. While this particular shape wouldn't necessarily lend itself to sandwich bread, flavor and texture-wise, it would serve that purpose perfectly.

This is case in point for why we shop at Trader Joe's—to travel the culinary world without leaving the state. I mean, Sonia and I have every intention of actually traveling the world in the future (we've got eight nations collectively under our belt already) and we might put Turkey near the top of the list just to try some true simit street food. Well done, Trader Joe's and whoever your third party Turkish supplier is. Thank you for introducing us to simit. We will buy it again.

$3.49 for four big round hoops of simit, brought to you from halfway around the world. Nine and a half stars from Sonia. I gave it eight and a half on the video review, but after trying it with feta, I might have gone with a nine. Either way, Trader Joe's Simit Turkish Sesame Bread winds up in the best of the best category here on WG@TJ's.

Bottom line: 9.25 out of 10.

Trader Giotto's Panettone Classico

We actually reviewed this product 12 years ago. I wrote a terza rima poem about it under the incorrect assumption that the product was pronounced pan-uh-TONE. It's actually pan-uh-TONE-ay. Or something like that...

Anyway, Sonia's score was tragically low for some reason. And yet she kept buying this product year after year. So we decided to do a video about it and amend Sonia's score and throw up some new info and photos.

I can't tell if the product is a victim of shrinkflation or if they just use slightly different ingredients now. But this version has 30 fewer calories than the version from 12 years ago, while the net weight has remained the same at 3.52 ounces—or did they just decide not to update the front of the packaging? I think we paid two bucks even for the one in 2013. This one cost $2.29. Not too bad considering how much everything else has gone up.

It's still imported from Italy. It's still remarkably soft and fresh-tasting bread considering it's shipped halfway around the world, wrapped in cellophane and a box. The "best by" on ours is in April 2026 and we bought it a couple weeks ago. It's still got a ribbon on the top of the package so you can hang it on your tree like an ornament.

Some might say it's just Italian fruitcake, but we think it's a fun, festive, and exotic product. This time around, Sonia and I are both giving Trader Giotto's Panettone Classico eight out of ten stars. Would buy again.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.